


Where Love Hides

by blueeyesbunny



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 20:37:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11066661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueeyesbunny/pseuds/blueeyesbunny
Summary: When faced with an angry deathclaw, Maccready and Nora's only choice is to find a hiding spot. Stuck in a crawl space, they have to find a way to occupy their time.





	Where Love Hides

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is a fill for the kink meme that took on a life of its own. Hope you all enjoy! Feedback welcome.

It would be a lie to say that the deathclaw came as a surprise. They’d heard it on the Holotape outside the museum and they’d heard it stamping and roaring on the ground floor above them. Nora couldn’t even plead innocence. Maccready had warned her. He’d known exactly what those noises meant. But, the museum was a big building. When it had gone quiet she’d thought maybe it had moved on. Maybe it was asleep. Maybe they could just scoot past it and solve this mystery. 

She’d grown complacent these past weeks. Between Maccready, Preston, Cait and the rest, things around her had a way of just working themselves out. Preston had once called her their lucky charm. Maybe she had started to believe that. 

Whatever the reason or excuse, she had walked up those stairs, and because he was a better man than he pretended to be, Maccready had followed her without hesitation. It likely would not have been without complaint, save for the fact that he suspected noise would get them killed. 

And now, noise or not, she stood in a large broken doorway, face to face with the largest deathclaw either of them had ever seen. And it was pissed. 

“Fuck,” was all that Maccready said. 

The creature stared at them for several moments, more surprised than they were.

“Back, back, back-” Nora hastily turned, not waiting to see what it would do. They only had precious seconds to act, and she wouldn’t spend them in silent contemplation. Maccready did not need her encouragement.

An ear splitting roar chased them through the wide hall, followed by a screech and the sound of splitting wood. Nora didn’t have to look back to know that, rather than fight with the tiny human-sized doorway, the deathclaw had simply ripped a hole in the wall. 

They did not know the layout of the building well, and there wasn’t enough time to make it back downstairs, nor was there any guarantee that they’d be safe down there anyways. Instead Maccready dashed towards a doorway to the right. They were close.

A deafening crash indicated that the deathclaw had made it through the wall. Slamming into the wooden door, Maccready fought with the handle, finally flinging it open. Nora could hear crunching steps as the deathclaw picked up speed, each footfall splintering the wood beneath.

“Fuck!” 

Peering over his shoulder, she saw that it was a storeroom. A dead end. There weren’t even any windows. Maccready stuttered, trying to formulate another plan. But there was no time. Nore shoved him inside, slamming the door shut behind them. She grabbed one of the shelving units and heaved it against the door. Maccready caught on, adding his weight. It fell into place just as the deathclaw reached them, it’s weight slamming into the door. The entire room groaned under the weight of it, bits of wood flying from the door.

“It’s not going to hold!” Maccready called, fighting to move another large shelf behind the first.

Nora looked around the room, struggling to come up with a plan. The shelving units would buy them seconds, not minutes or hours. Her eyes alighted on a small recessed wooden rectangle in the back corner of the ceiling. 

“I have a plan. Come on.” She grabbed his arm, ignoring his disbelieving expression. The deathclaw struck the door again, this time, widening the crack in the door enough so that could see it’s movements beyond.

“Nora-”

“I know, just come on!” 

Hurriedly pushing a chair into the corner, she climbed, pushing upward on the little rectangle with all her strength. It gave way with a pop, offering a glimpse into a dark crawl space.

“Holy shit!” yelled Maccready, and Nora wasn’t sure whether the exclamation was in gratitude of her discovery or out of fear as the deathclaw’s rolling, blood shot eye appeared in the crack. She didn’t waste time watching it.

“Give me a boost.” 

His hands were already there, pushing under her right foot. She pulled herself smoothly up, rolling into the dark. She immediately turned back, leaning out and offering Maccready her arms. His hands locked into her own, and he started to push off. 

The deathclaw tackled the door one more time, sending the shelves flying, and dislodging the chair from beneath Maccready’s feet. Suddenly, she was holding all his weight. Her shoulders and arms groaned in protest and she slid forward several inches. For a second, she thought they were lost, and then her toes connected with a small wooden ledge. Digging her feet in, she found purchase, and hauled with all the adrenaline-induced strength she could muster. Between the two of them, he swung up, kicking his feet in just as the door gave way. Nora grabbed the wooden panel and slammed it down, sealing the hole. A deafening roar filled the room below them. She scrabbled backwards, following Maccready. 

Skittering like a crab, she moved as deep into the space as she could. It was not large, maybe three feet across and ten or twelve feet long. It was also not tall, hence the crab-like movements. Nora tried sitting, but found she was unable to. Maccready just sprawled out on his back panting. They were both as quiet as possible. 

The deathclaw continued to tear the store room apart, screeching and clawing at the walls. Nora wasn’t sure how intelligent deathclaws were. The crawl space extended over two, possibly three rooms and was well reinforced. It had seemed like an ideal hiding spot. A dog would have become confused and left them alone after awhile. Would this thing be able to figure it out? Short of dismantling the ceiling in all three rooms, it would be difficult to pry them out, but not impossible. Her heart hammered in her chest. 

Unable to find any other comfortable position, she laid down beside Maccready. She curled on her side, trying to take up as little space as possible, but still, her back rested against his side. In the stillness, she realized that she was trembling. Or was he trembling? Maybe they both were. 

What felt like an unbearably long amount of time passed with them huddling in silence as the deathclaw paced and roared and smelled the air in the room below. Occasionally it would slam a clawed fist into the wall, causing the whole building to shake and dust to rain down on them. 

The reality of their situation seeped into her slowly. They were trapped in the lair of a beast that was intent on killing them, against which she stood almost no chance, and there was no obvious way of escape. Her bravado leaked away and she realized the foolishness of her decision to bring them here. 

When she’d first crawled out of the Vault, she’d attacked the Commonwealth with reckless abandon. Whether it was Raiders, Mirelurks or Ferals, she shied away from nothing. Looking back, she could see that she hadn’t cared whether she lived or died. Death would have been a welcome reprieve from the pain and impossibility of it all. But, she hadn’t died. Every situation, no matter how impossible the odds seemed, fell in her favor, even when she didn’t want it to. So, when she’d regained her hope, made friends and found a renewed appreciation for life, she’d continued to take the risks. Why not? It always worked out, didn’t it?

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was small in the dark. Unshed tears stung her eyes, and her throat tightened. 

The space was filled with the soft hiss of moving fabric, and Maccready’s arm slid around her waist. His gloves were gone, and the callouses on his hands were rough against the flannel of her shirt. 

“I know. Me too.” He spoke into her neck, his face buried in her hair. 

It had only been a week or two since they had confessed their feelings to one another. Her heart hadn’t felt the warmth of new love in a long time. Things between Nate and her had always been rocky, Shaun the tie that bound them, for better or worse. 

Ideas swirled in her mind. If she could distract the beast, it would give Maccready a chance to escape. It was only right, since it was her fault they’d come. The price was hers to pay. But how? She had a 10mm and a knife, neither of which were likely to do any serious damage. But there was also a grenade. That was more promising. Maybe she could lure it with gunfire. If she was lucky the grenade might stun it long enough that she could get away too. Or at least, it would give him enough time to escape.

“Whatever your thinking, stop.” There was a note of pleading in his voice, almost like she’d spoken her plan aloud. “Up until 60 seconds ago I was sure we were dead. At least let me get used to the idea of us being alive again before you come up with another crazy scheme.” 

He made it sound like a joke, but his voice was weak and the arm around her waist tightened. She sunk into his embrace, letting him comfort her and take comfort from her. She tried to do as he asked, wiping her mind clean of such thoughts. There would be time for them later. 

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, but slowly, ever so slowly, the deathclaw moved farther and farther from them, till they could only hear its ponderous steps and grunts as it patrolled. It seemed more focused on the front of the building, which kept it away from them. Still, it was unlikely that they could open the crawl space and jump down without attracting any attention. So, they decided to sleep on it. They had enough supplies to make it several days. Their best option seemed to be to settle in and wait for an opportunity. 

With the immediate danger passed, and a plan agreed upon, boredom set in. Nora rolled in Maccready’s arms, till they were facing one another, faces just inches apart. She could feel the soft tickle of his breath.

“If I had to be stuck up here with someone, at least it’s you,” she said, intertwining her legs with his.

Just enough light filtered through the entrance hole, and through the handful of seams in the wood, that she could see his ghost of a smile. 

“Imagine if it was Danse. He would have lectured the deathclaw to death, and then lectured you to within an inch of your life.”

She giggled, tucking her face into his chest to muffle the noise. “I don’t even think he would fit through that hole. Imagine if he’d gotten stuck.” 

“Recruit, get me out of here this instance. This is no laughing matter. Ridiculing your commanding officer breaks regs, and if you continue, I’ll be forced to report you,” Maccready said, in a passable imitation of the Brotherhood soldier. They both dissolved into giggles. The feel of his laughter against her hair, the familiar smell of gunpowder and smoke, it felt good. Normal. It was the kind of normal she wanted to get used to again. 

As time passed, the kept each other entertained, he with anecdotes about their friends and Little Lamplight, her with tales from the prewar era. But no amount of witty commentary could disguise the fact that the temperature was steadily rising. Neither of them mentioned it for awhile, but finally it became so uncomfortable that she could no longer avoid it. 

“Guess it must be daytime.”

“Mhmm.” 

“It’s getting pretty toasty.”

“Mhmm.” 

“Guess I might as well lose some clothes, not like I need to worry about my modesty in here anyways.”

“Mmmmhmmmm.” 

She couldn’t help but chuckle. Scooting backwards as far as she was able, which wasn’t very, she started by kicking off her boots and socks. 

Neither of them was a novice when it came to physical intimacy, nor was she particularly shy, but they hadn’t yet done much in that department. If they weren’t afraid, then neither were they in a hurry. To say that they both had baggage was an understatement. And the Commonwealth had kept them plenty busy. So, she wasn’t exactly nervous to disrobe, as much as she was unsure of where to begin and how to go about it. It had been a long time since she’d been naked with a man, and Nate had never been a fan of casual nudity, or even casual affection. She wasn’t sure what protocol was. 

Deciding that she was over-thinking it, she reached up for her flannel shirt, unbuttoning the buttons, and then finding that she couldn’t figure out how to get it off. She couldn’t quite stretch her arms enough in the direction she needed to. She tried a few different ways, but couldn’t quite get it. 

“Huh,” she said, stumped. Maccready chuckled.

“Would you like some help?” 

“Not if you’re going to be so smug about it.”

“Stay in your flannel then,” he said, still laughing.

She continued struggling with the sleeves, but there was just no way to do it while staying on her side of their hideout. She sighed in defeat. 

“Fine. Robert, would you please help me?” 

He fell silent and stilled for a moment beneath her hand. And then said, “Sure” in a tone that was much more serious than she’d expected. 

He moved her this way and that until finally he had her lay flat on her back. He crouched above her, in something of a push up position with one knee dropped down beside her hip. She doubted it was comfortable for him, but it was perfect for their purpose. He tugged one sleeve down and then the other till her arms were free. The rush of air against her skin was a relief, though it wasn’t exactly cool. They just left the shirt beneath her as a bit of cushion. 

“You have to be burning up in that coat. Let me help you with it.” 

This was a little trickier. He had to lean on one arm, and then the other, while she wrestled the sleeves off of him. She had to stretch to reach, keeping her held tilted back out of the way. This put them chest to chest, and she was much more aware of the contact now that her shirt was gone. The texture of the warm leather against her bare skin made her nipples pebble inside her bra. When he was finally free of it, he pulled it down between them, and then pushed it down toward their feet to get it out of the way. The feel of it trailing along her body made her shiver. 

The tickle of warmth on her bare skin awoke feelings within her that had been dormant for a long time, and she considered their situation anew. Had they truly been moving slowly? Or had she just been avoiding it? When had she last had sex just for the pleasure of it? She couldn’t remember the exact point where things with Nate had gone from pleasurable to obligatory, but it hadn’t always been that way. She’d once been adventurous and flirtatious. She found Maccready exceptionally handsome. Maybe she’d just forgotten how to take the next step. 

She slowly unwound the scarf around his neck. The fabric was soft beneath her fingertips and smelled like him. Coiling it slowly around her hand, she experimentally allowed her fingers to brush against his bare neck. She glanced up to find him staring at her intently, eyes dark and lips half parted. He trembled under her touch. How long had he waited for this? How many nights had he hoped, but been afraid to push her? A small part of her felt guilty, but the larger part took pleasure in the image of him in his bed, needy and wanting. Perhaps, remembering her lips against his and wondering what they might feel like elsewhere. Undoing his pants, calling her name as he-

Her cheeks flushed, and she wondered if he could see it, but she did not withdraw her hand. Instead she reached for the buttons of his shirt, glancing up to gain his consent. He nodded silently. Each of her movements was slow and deliberate, one button at a time, revealing just a bit more skin than the last, until they parted, revealing the muscular plane of his chest. He was not muscular in the deliberate way that Nate had been, but rather lean and wiry from the exertions of his daily life.

She hesitated, glancing at him again, before sliding her fingers along his collar bone until they caught on the shirt, which she slid down his arm, luxuriating in the feel of tender flesh over hard muscle. Just like with his jacket, to fully remove the sleeve she had to lean up into him, but this time skin met skin, and electricity thrilled through her. She couldn’t help the small noise she made. 

Finished, she lay back, already missing the contact. But the look on his face more than made up for it. She’d never seen such intensity in him, green eyes stormy and dark. It stole her breath. She could see desire in his eyes that was neither soft nor gentle. Excitement thrilled down her spine. Her doubts and insecurities melted in the face of such want, replaced by a hungry warmth in the pit of her belly. 

“Pants?” she asked, voice breathy. His nod was sharp an immediate. She reached for his belt, fumbling for a minute, before pulling it loose and unbuttoning his pants. Her newfound desire demanded that she move quickly, but she fought this urge. She allowed her hands to tarry, the backs of her fingers grazing the tender skin of his abdomen. He inhaled sharply.

Just as she had his pants undone, she pulled her hands away. She could feel his eyes on her, feel his impatience, but she knew he would find this detour rewarding. She undid her own pants, arching her back in order to shimmy them off her hips. For a moment, their bodies touched from chest to hip, and the electricty returned sizzling between them. He groaned softly in her ear. Her skin felt too tight. She wanted his hands on her. Her earlier patience evaporated. She wiggled her legs, finally kicking free of her pants, and returned to his. Tugging at them, she pulled them and his boxers down over his hips, and finally, he came free of all the fabric. Her hands stuttered to a stop, and she bit her lip. He was already hard, longer and bigger than she had expected. 

“Roll over,” she said, voice filled with an unexpected authority. He obeyed with alacrity, and they turned, switching places so that she was above him. She shimmied down his body, hands carving a trail down his sides and coming to rest at his hips. She made short work of his pants, tossing them aside, and then he was naked. 

Breathing deeply, she took in the sight of him, wishing the lighting was better. She wanted to memorize this moment, etch it in her mind forever. He was a beautiful. 

Almost as an afterthought, she unhooked her own bra, her breasts bouncing as they came free. Up to now, Maccready had been content to let her take the lead, but this new provocation was too much. He reached for her, one hand tangling in her dark hair, the other gently caressing one of her breasts. Humming in pleasure, she leaned into his touch, settling in so that she straddled his thighs. 

“Are you sure you-” Maccready began, groaning as she shifted against him, his shaft bumping against her belly. “-you want this?” he finished, breathlessly. 

For a moment, she was overcome with tenderness for this man who would be so attentive, even now. That he would be more concerned for her in this moment, so conscientious, stoked her passion for him. 

She leaned into him, her lips seeking his in the near-darkness. They were softer than she expected, warm and inviting. She pulled away, and couldn’t help the satisfied smile that played at her lips. “Yes,” she said, with sureness. Reaching between them, she took him in her hand without warning, smoothing her thumb from base to tip. He groaned, the sound echoing loudly in the enclosed space. It caused them both to jump and fall still, listening to see if they’d attracted any attention. But they hadn’t, so she resumed her exploration.

Jerking his arm upward, he buried his face in it, his broken moans and gasps muffled in his elbow.Her fingers danced lightly up and down his silken length, more for her pleasure than his, acquainting herself with his body. His hips twitched into her hand, slowly at first, and then with more insistence, till his hand flashed outward, encircling her wrist and holding it still.

“Nora, I can’t-” he broke off, panting. “I won’t last.” 

“Mmmm,” she said, tempted to take him into her mouth instead, just to see how he would react. 

He grinned, clearly reading her intention. “Far be it from me to deny a lady, but…” he trailed off, eyes going soft. “I’d hoped that out first time would be…” Unable to find the right word, he made a vague motion with his hands, as though beckoning her closer. 

She hummed to herself and imitated his motion. “I’m not sure what that means.”

Maccready groaned again, though clearly not in pleasure this time. “Twerp.” Grabbing her waist, he hauled her up till they were face to face. As she settled, their hips met and she could feel the length of him, pinned against her most intimate parts. She shivered, all desire to tease falling away. 

“I wanted it to be romantic. I want you to know that I… That I love you. That this isn’t just some fling. You’re important to me,” he said, voice breathy. He cupped her cheek in one hand, and pulled her in for a kiss. 

“I love you too,” she mumbled into his lips. With this admission, their kiss deepened, his tongue pressing gently till she opened her mouth to him. One of his hands swept down her back, cupping and squeezing her ass. His hips twitched against hers.

In this position, she needed her arms to stay balanced, and Maccready took advantage of the new freedom. One hand gripped her hip tightly, while the other found her breasts, kneading and thumbing her nipple. Pleasure thrilled through her. She bit her lip. They could not afford to make noise.

He leaned forward, taking first one nipple, and then the other, in his mouth. The warm, wet pressure, the sight of him beneath her, his mouth at her breasts, was too much. She moaned, forgetting herself. Maccready’s eyes darted up to her. Whatever he saw made him lean back, smiling gently.

“You’re beautiful, you know?”

She blushed again, grateful for the darkness that hid her. He spoke in such an earnest and straightforward way. Compliments like that were foreign to her, but Maccready offered them like they were the natural way of things. Like rain on dry soil, he had softened something within her that had begun to grow hard. 

Her heart ached with both love and fear. So much had gone wrong. So much had been broken and lost along the way. And yet, here in this cramped and dark storage space, some bit of happiness had been waiting for her. More than anything, she wanted to reach out and take it. 

“So are you.”

He leaned into her, kissing her again. She adjusted her hips above him. The feel of him at her entrance was intoxicating, but as he hesitated her eyes fluttered open. The same fear that haunted her was evident in his eyes. It was as though it all might disappear in an instant. As though any delays or indulgences might rob them of the chance all together. 

“I want you,” she said, and her voice was rough, with need, with grief. 

Kissing her fiercely, he thrust into her. She shuddered above him. His eyes burned into her. The pace he set was fast, desperate. He slid a hand between them, slowing only long enough to find that sensitive spot within her folds, his fingers finding a matching rhythm. The jolt of pleasure was intense and immediate. 

“Oh, Robert!” she gasped.

Unable to stay silent, she buried her face in his neck, muffling the moans she could not resist.

The pleasure within her built and built till she no longer knew what she was saying. All that she knew was the feel of him beneath her, the warmth of his skin, the smell of him, all cedar, smoke and sunshine, and the heat of him inside her. 

Their rhythm became erratic, and he groaned her name, his hands digging tightly into her hips. The sound of her name from those lips was enough to push her over the edge. She tensed, lights dancing behind her eyes, and then she was falling ,floating, melting into him, pleasure breaking over her in waves. 

He called her name again, burying his face into her shoulder, till he too was spent. 

Long moments passed, filled with nothing but the sound of their panting and the feel of their hearts beating heavily in their chests. 

Even as Maccready helped her lift her hips and stretch her legs out, Nora’s mind remained blank, filled with nothing but a warm haze of satisfaction. She lay on his chest, their legs intertwined, and she sighed her happiness.

“Love you, Robert.”

“Mmm, love you too.” 

A sleep more peaceful than either had known in a long while stole upon them, and for many hours they knew nothing more. 

 

-O-

The slow and steady rhythm of Maccready’s fingers in her hair was what pulled her back to consciousness. She snuggled in close to the warmth of his body. The air around them was much cooler. It seemed that night had fallen. Aside from that, things were just as they had been before. 

“You finally awake, princess?” 

Nora couldn’t help but smile at his typical acerbic tone. 

“Glad to know love hasn’t made you go all soft.” 

He snorted. “Me, soft? Pssh.” But he sounded happy. 

Memories of their time together floated back through her mind. She leaned up, wanting suddenly to see his face. They’d said a lot of things, shared a lot of feelings. Panic stirred in her chest. Had he meant it all? Was he as serious as she was? What if it had all been a joke to him?

“Woah, what’s that look for?” He reached for her, fingers caressing her temple, slowing to drag through her hair. The feel of his nails on her scalp sent a shiver down her spine. He chuckled again. 

“Sorry. I just… For a second this didn’t seem real. I thought maybe-” she trailed off, embarrassed by the chaotic swirl of thoughts that had overtaken her so suddenly. 

“Thought you imagined it?” 

She glanced back up, surprised at his insight. “How’d you know?”

“I might have wondered the same thing once or twice. I didn’t get much sleep,” he admitted sheepishly. 

She couldn’t help but grin. It was so sweet, so unlike his typical bravado. “If you keep acting sweet like that, I might-” she broke off as his expression fell. His eyes took on a faraway look. Abruptly, he held a finger to her lips. She froze, trying to be as still as possible. Had the deathclaw returned? 

For several moments all she could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. She exhaled as he’d taught her, letting her thoughts and fears flutter away with her breath till all that was left was clear concentration. Just barely, she could make out the indistinct sound of human voices. There were more than one, but beyond that, she couldn’t tell. And it hardly mattered anyways. The chance of them being friendly was extremely low. 

The appearance of humans on the scene changed their circumstances considerably. This was the distraction she’d been wishing for. She met Maccready’s steady gaze and nodded, trusting that he would understand. They had to be ready. 

With infinite care she pushed off of him, retreating to her own section of the space. She couldn’t resist a languid stretch. It felt good to move after so much time inert in the same position. Turning to the task at hand, she began gathering their clothes and trying to distinguish what belonged to who. Quickly though, she realized that it would be much more difficult to redress than it had been to undress in the first place. Through a combination of her flexibility, his sharp eyesight, and their familiarity with one another, they managed to get more or less dressed. 

The voices were closer now. There were at least four. Though she still couldn’t make out what they were saying, it was obvious from their tone and volume that they didn’t understand what they were walking into. 

She and Maccready shifted to the entrance. They didn’t have a plan and she didn’t know what the signal would be, but they wouldn’t get a better shot at this and they needed to be ready. 

The muffled voices suddenly became much clearer, and Nora was certain that they’d come clear of the basement and moved onto the main floor. 

“-the fuck is all this?” A commanding male voice asked.

“Gotta be a deathclaw or something. Least it’s gone now. This place is deserted.” 

Maccready snickered. Nora admonished him with a look, but couldn’t conceal her own smile. Not even they had been this foolish.

“Where the hell is Lee?”

“You don’t think they’re all… dead?” This was softer, more timid. A different speaker. It seemed like they were fanning out, probably searching. 

“They better be. If they ran off with the case, Wes will be pissed. The Gunners don’t forgive shit like that.” 

Their humor leaked away and Maccready glanced up at her, as if to confirm what he’d heard. It was surprising. The Gunners usually weren’t this sloppy. Apparently, whatever was in that case was really valuable to someone. They stared at one another. She could see him calculating whether or not it would be worth it, whether the caps outweighed the danger. She raised an eyebrow. He grinned and shrugged. She could almost hear him. Why not, boss?

“Hey, over here! I think I see…” 

The sharp groan of wood was all the answer Nora needed to know just what they’d seen. 

“Fuck!” 

Gunfire erupted, a stutter that quickly turned into a constant stream. The deathclaw shrieked, it’s mammoth steps rocking the entire building. Dust and splinters rained down on Nora and Maccready. He was tense beside her, but made no move to act without her signal. 

“Fall back! Fall-” The command was cut off sharply in a crash of wood and a scream, but Nora could hear movement headed back towards the basement. Perhaps the others hoped to flee while the deathclaw focused on their commander. Unfortunately for them, it would not so easily be deterred. It let loose an ear-splitting roar and charged. The collision was so forceful that the wooden beams around them groaned. Nora could hear cracking and splintering on all sides as the old building fought to stay standing.

“Come on!” She flung the wooden panel backward, momentarily stunned in the bright light. Taking no more than a second to check the room below, she hopped down, landing as quietly as possible. Though it would do little good, she readied her 10mm and checked that her grenade was within easy reach. Maccready joined her, dusting himself off and readying his rifle. 

Angry animal cries mingled with the screams of humans below them. Nora peeked around the corner, and saw that the entrance to the basement level was half-collapsed, the walls on that side of the building sagging dangerously. It was perfect. 

She signaled for Maccready to move away from the basement entrance, and readied her grenade. When he’d retreated well enough, she let her weapon fly, turning and following him toward the front door of the museum. The explosion rocked the entire building. For a long moment, it seemed to have worked. The entrance collpased, but the rest of the building held together, groaning and fighting to remain whole. But it finally gave way, the entire basement passage crashing down under the weight of collapsing walls. It seemed Nora’s plan had worked a bit too well, and the floor beneath them shook. 

“Shit! It’s going to fall in!” Maccready took off toward the door, fighting with the barricade to get it open. As Nora ran to catch up, something caught her eye amidst the dust and debris. A silver case, partially covered with the bloodied arm of a dead Gunner.

Recalling, as she always did in moments like these, that fortune favored the bold, she dashed through the mess of decaying bodies and deathclaw shit to claim their prize. 

“Nora!” 

She turned back, case in hand. Maccready had gotten the door open. A chunk of concrete smashed into the floor to her right, causing her to jerk and duck her head. But she ran on. There was no time to worry about debris. By the time she’d checked to see if her path was safe, she’d likely be dead. She dashed out of the hall and into the foyer. 

The wall to her left sagged suddenly, creaking, and finally splitting under the pressure. An errant board hit her side, knocking her off balance. She went down hard, sliding several feet across the floor. For a second, she could see nothing but stars. A ringing sound filled her ears. She couldn’t tell which way was forward. She struggled to orient herself. There was no time! 

But then Maccready’s hands were on her, hauling her up and out. 

They collapsed in a pile underneath a clump of scraggly pine trees outside, both of them breathing heavily. They watched as the building collapsed in a dramatic heap. It seemed extremely unlikely that anything in the lower level could have survived. 

Now that they were safe, Nora took stock of their circumstances. Maccready seemed fine, but her shoulder and side ached. At least they’d managed to solve the mystery of the Witch Museum. Well, almost solved it. All that remained was to open the case tucked safely under her uninjured arm. 

“I swear to god, there better be a shi- I mean, a bunch of caps in there,” Maccready groaned. “Or a first edition Grognak,” he added as an afterthought. 

He sat up, righting his hat and dusting off his clothes. Nora couldn’t bring herself to sit yet. She feared how badly it might hurt. At least nothing felt broken. 

“You ok?” To his credit, he sounded genuinely concerned.

“At least I know where I stand in your priorities,” she said dryly. “Caps, comics, and then me.” She sat up slowly, testing the injured arm and shoulder. It wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. She was sore, but the injury would probably amount to nothing more than a bruise. That done, she turned her attention to the case.

“Aww, come on,” said Maccready with a chuckle. 

Ignoring him, she fiddled with the lock, pulling a bobby pin from the stash in her pocket. 

“I’ve seen the way you look at my comics. It’s not like you wouldn’t-”

The lock popped open, the top section of the case lifting slightly. Maccready immediately lost interest in his teasing. 

“What is it?” He leaned over as she pushed it all the way open. Several inches of packing material obscured their prize. Gently, lest it turn out to be some kind of weapon, Nora lifted layer after layer of paper and foam away. The final piece of foam was thicker, and conformed more closely to the object, which appeared to be roughly the size and shape of a football. Buzzing with excitement, she found the seam in the foam, and gently pulled it away. Maccready swore and leaned away. It didn’t immediately make sense to her though. 

Pale and oblong, it appeared to be an egg. The shell had a slightly green tint to it, and was freckled and pitted in places. But, if it was an egg, it was many times larger than any she’d seen previously. She couldn’t guess what would be inside. 

She turned to find Maccready fumbling with the Holotape she’d dropped on the ground beside them. 

“Play it,” he said flatly.

They listened to Lee’s despairing description of the situation, which ended abruptly in screams and shrieks. 

“Fuck. That’s exactly what I was afraid of.” He was so agitated he seemed to have forgotten about his moratorium on cursing. 

“Huh,” Nora said, examining the egg. “It just seems too small to be a deathclaw. I didn’t even know they layed eggs. I wonder what they look like as babies.”

“No. No way are we even entertaining that idea. We aren’t keeping it a second longer than we have to. We need to get the hell out of here.” 

She laughed. “You’re probably right. I was just-”

A very distinctive shriek, muffled by all the debris, came from behind them. Several pieces of wood and concrete at the top of the collapsed building shifted. Nora froze. Was it really still alive, even after all that? Maccready didn’t look back. Haphazardly tossing the padding back into the case, he slammed it shut, lifting it in one arm and hauling her up with the other. 

“Time to go.” 

The two of them beat a hasty retreat, running at first, then cutting through short cuts and keeping behind cover, even walking through water in the hopes of disguising their trail. 

Nora couldn’t help but think of what a great story it would make later, though there were parts she’d probably keep to herself. In a way, she was grateful for it all. Even now, though they’d long since made it past the point of immediate danger, Maccready still firmly held her hand in his. She couldn’t help her grin, as she squeezed his hand. Maybe she was lucky after all.


End file.
